Too Many Lies
by dreamorreality
Summary: Tony's lied for too many years and finally lets go... with Gibbs. Thanks to Drae for the beta.


AN: My muse was screaming so I wrote. Hope you like.

* * *

"Why did you do that?" 

Tony looked up from his papers and stared back at Gibbs down.

"Do what?"

"Get up."

Tony did as he was told and stood, following Gibbs into the conference room.

"You lied, falsified papers... you could get into a lot of trouble."

Tony shifted uncomfortably. His eyes went to the floor and his arms wrapped protectively around his chest. This stance scared Gibbs a little; he had never seen Tony like this.

"I'm perfectly healthy. I don't see why I have to go to the doctor's if I feel fine."

Gibbs took a step closer to Tony and shook his head. He lowered his voice and Tony tensed up; a quiet Gibbs was sometimes worse then a loud one.

"It's in your contract, you have to get one."

"I'll get one... Monday."

"You're already getting half your pay, get one now or I'll have to suspend you."

"Fine. How long?"

Gibbs glanced at his watch, all the while wondering why Tony was so avid not to go to the doctor's.

"It's almost noon. The rest of the day and next week, no pay."

Tony walked out of the room and gathered his stuff. He hadn't noticed Gibbs was standing next to the elevator until Gibbs got in with him. Tony went to push the ground floor button when his arm was grabbed by Gibbs.

"You're going now." Gibbs pushed the button for Ducky's floor and faced Tony, whose entire stance now spoke of irritation rather than protection, trying to stare Gibbs down, hoping to change the man's mind. "I don't want to have to lose you for that long. You're going now."

Tony turned, taking his frustration out on the elevator wall, leaving a small dent there. The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Gibbs walked out but Tony stayed in, hoping he could still get away. Before he could, Gibbs grabbed him by the arm and pushed him in front of him, aiming him toward the autopsy room.

"Hello, Anthony, Jethro. What can I do for you today?"

"Tony needs to have a physical, Duck. I'd like you to do it right now if you're not too busy."

"Of course, Jethro. Anthony, there are scrubs in my office."

Tony walked off and Ducky turned back to face Gibbs.

"I want the report on my desk before he leaves."

With that, Gibbs walked out the door and back to the elevator.

* * *

Twenty long minutes later, Tony walked out of Ducky's office uncomfortably pulling at his shirt, holding it down well past the pant's waistband with his hands.

"Hop up."

Tony rolled his eyes and turned so his back faced the cold metal table and jumped up. Ducky rolled up Tony's sleeve and took his blood pressure.

"Relax, Anthony, my boy, nothing to worry about."

Tony smiled faintly and tried to ignore Ducky as he poked and prodded.

* * *

"What's the matter with Tony?"

Kate had finally gotten up the nerve to ask Gibbs about Tony packing up his stuff.

"That would be between the two of us and anyone he wishes to tell, Kate."

She should have known that was what he was going to say. He had looked slightly agitated ever since he came out of the elevator alone. She'd just have to get it out of someone else.

"Finish your reports."

Kate looked at Gibbs for a second more before going back to her work. She really wanted to know what was wrong now.

* * *

"Jethro." Gibbs looked up at Ducky and smiled as he saw Tony trailing behind him. "I need to talk to you and Anthony privately."

Gibbs nodded and followed the two back into the conference room.

"What's up, Duck? Something wrong with him?"

Ducky closed the door of the room before answering Gibbs' question. Tony had taken a position at the far corner of the room, well enough away from the men so he wasn't in the conversation but close enough to hear the words exchanged between the two men.

"Nothing's wrong, Jethro. Just a few old scars that I would like to know what they're from." Gibbs glanced over at Tony, then back at Ducky. "He's not telling me."

"Okay, can I, um..."

Ducky nodded and walked out the door, Jethro following close behind.

"Where, Duck?"

Ducky opened the folder he had been carrying and pointed out the scars he had been talking about. Gibbs shook off his shock; these weren't small, accidental, scars. These were big, long scars, similar to one that Gibbs himself had.

"He seemed a little nervous about them, and I don't need to know… I'm just a little worried, Jethro."

Gibbs nodded at the expression on Ducky's face and took the folder out of the doctor's hands.

"I'll talk to him, Duck, thanks."

Ducky nodded and walked back towards the elevator, while Gibbs walked back into the room where he had left Tony.

"Can I go to work now, boss?"

"Hold on a minute... then you can go."

Tony wrapped his arms around himself again and rolled his eyes. He never made a move closer to the older man or out of the corner.

"Will you tell me?"

"Tell you what, boss?"

Tony knew he had already lied too much to be trying this, but he'd rather not have to tell his boss, his crush, what they were from.

"You can either tell me or you can tell Ducky... I don't care which."

"Fine." Tony's arms hit his sides before he started picking at his fingernails. "They're from a long time ago, nothing to get worried about. I just got into one too many fights when I was a teenager."

"Really?"

Gibbs voice was more of a 'yeah right' then anything, but this didn't deter Tony; he had certainly been through it enough.

"Yes, sir, now... may I please go back to work?"

Gibbs' eyebrows creased in confusion but he moved out of Tony's path to the door, letting Tony get past him before making one last comment.

"You're still on half pay for the papers."

Tony only grunted as he walked back to his desk. Gibbs followed him, Ducky's report in hand.

* * *

"Where's DiNozzo?"

Kate glanced up at Gibbs as he walked back to his desk. He had been in a long meeting with the director.

"Went home, told me to tell you not to worry."

Gibbs grunted and sat down, fidgeting with the folder on his desk.

"I'm heading out."

With that Gibbs stood up and walked to the elevator, eventually hopping into his car and driving off.

* * *

Tony had been perfectly happy in his apartment; he was already on his third beer, not really caring that it was only Thursday and he still had to go to work tomorrow. Then he heard a knock at his door. It was either go answer it or answer the wrath of his neighbors the next day, so he got up and peered through the eyehole. It was the one person he didn't want to speak to right then, and the only one who wouldn't go away. But he had pizza and Tony had none, so he opened the door, letting his boss inside.

"I brought pizza and a few beers." Gibbs eyed Tony's half-empty beer and the empty ones on the coffee table. "But it seems you have already had a few of those."

Tony shut the door and locked it before he turned to face the man. Gibbs had already made himself at home, sitting on the couch and putting the first piece of pizza in his mouth at the same time.

"Boss, what are you doing here?"

Tony walked over to the table, grabbed a piece of pizza, then walked to the opposite chair before taking a bite.

"Thought you might be hungry."

Gibbs finished off his piece and grabbed another as Tony finished his and did the same. The two sat in silence for a few minutes, finishing off the pizza at lighting speed and finishing a couple more beers, too.

"So... what do you want, Gibbs?"

Gibbs smiled, looked down at the empty pizza box, and then back up at Tony. He wanted something but couldn't say it; on the other hand he wanted to know something.

"Tell me about your fights."

Tony smiled, hesitantly, and looked away from Gibbs.

"Which ones, Gibbs?"

"It's Jethro, Tony. The ones that gave you the scars."

"Not so much fair fights, Jethro." Tony smiled when Jethro's name rolled off his tongue like he had said it thousands of times before. His words were slurred though, his wall slowly crumbling down like he had never wanted. "More like gay-bashing than anything."

Gibbs looked up at Tony, confusion covering his face.

"Gay-bashing?"

"Yeah, I'm gay... they knew it and didn't like it."

Gibbs was happy but didn't show it. Tony was finally telling him the truth and he didn't want to ruin the moment.

"Who knew it?"

"Never mind."

Gibbs stood up and walked over to Tony, knelt in front of him, and placed his hand on the man's thigh.

"Come on, Tony, who was it?"

Tony looked down at Gibbs' hand then up to his eyes.

"My parents. They thought they could beat it out of me."

Gibbs' eyes softened, looking extremely sad, and he rubbed Tony's thigh. Tony stood up, Gibbs' hand falling off his thigh, and walked over to the window.

"Tony?"

He looked back at Jethro, his eyes tearing up, and then quickly looked back out to the street.

"Don't do that."

"Do what, Tony?"

"Act like you care."

Gibbs stood up from his spot on the floor and walked behind Tony.

"But I do care." Tony tensed at the feel of Jethro so close to him; he turned around all the same, knowing that he would be right there. When he turned, a tear was running down his cheek and Jethro brushed it away. "I care so much I made you see Ducky."

"I didn't want to see Ducky."

"You had to, I'm sorry." Jethro paused. "The director wanted to fire you. I told him he couldn't, that I needed you." His hand fell from Tony's cheek and rested at his side again. "I need you on my team because you are you. I need you there because you're good at what you do, and I need you there to keep me alive."

"What?"

Tony looked into Jethro's eyes again, expecting to see humor in them but instead seeing none.

"You keep me sane, Tony."

Tony smiled. He couldn't hold back his tears anymore, and Jethro wrapped his arms around him. As Tony's tears ran down his face, Jethro rubbed his back, hoping that one day there would be no more secrets between the two of them.

The End


End file.
